


Thinking with the Other Side of the Brain

by TelepathJeneral



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Gen, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-24
Updated: 2013-11-30
Packaged: 2018-01-02 13:03:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1057102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TelepathJeneral/pseuds/TelepathJeneral





	1. Chapter 1

Hermann’s always been something of a tightass. Most people just assume he was born with it, and learn to avoid him when he’s in a bad mood. Newt doesn’t really have that option, but he doesn’t really mind. He seems to cope better than anyone with Hermann’s snobbery, and sometimes, Hermann almost seems to appreciate it.   
Still, when one member of a supposedly cooperative team spends most of his time berating his companion for not spending enough time in the lab, other researchers start to worry.  
“We are working with your precious tax dollars here, Newton, and if you can’t be bothered to appreciate the enormity of that, then there’s no hope for you in a research division!”  
“Herm, really, calm down, it’s supposed to be a happy time of year! Don’t you guys have holidays or whatever in England, too?”  
“We take holidays, we do not randomly decide that various parts of the year are irrevocably dedicated to lazing about and slacking off! I can appreciate Christmas as much as the next man, but not when I’m supposed to be in here working!”  
Newt raises both hands in surrender, still hunched over the scrap of shell they’ve managed to buy off EBay. Without looking to Hermann, he simply shrugs before poking the shell, watching it wobble on the table. “Just sayin’, when they have kaiju figures on sale like that, you don’t just ignore them. This place could use a little cheer, too, you’re always so doom and gloom about everything.”  
“Maybe because it takes some ‘doom and gloom’ to impress on our clients that we are trying to do serious research, and your presence-or lack of it-hardly does much to further that aim. I mean, for God’s sake, man, you don’t even look like a scientist! What does it take to impress in your fragile little skull that we are trying to be taken seriously, and you simply aren’t?” As with most of his speeches, Hermann ends up slightly out of breath, leaning heavily on his cane while he stares at his partner. Newt hesitates a moment longer, still watching the shell as if it’ll come back to life and purr, but finally straightens to face Hermann fully.  
“Herm, if you don’t enjoy research, then what’s the point?”  
“The point, Newton, is that these monsters are currently trying to destroy our world, and if we don’t have significant progress within a few months, this program is off the books!” Hermann’s emphasis always strikes Newt as slightly off, a result of the accent difference between the two, and it takes Newt a moment to suppress his smile before nodding.  
“C’mon, Herm, you can’t just think about money. I’ve seen you in there, there’s some powerful stuff you do, and you really enjoy it! Why can’t you see that that’s what I do?”  
“Listen-Newton, Newton, please.” Hermann raises his free hand, taking on the familiar exasperated expression he usually uses with Newt. “I understand that you are one of the few people in the world with a particular…passion for the kaiju. It’s what got you this far, and I can appreciate your standpoint. However, that does not excuse your tardiness, or your utter lack of respect for basic laboratory protocol. Do I make myself perfectly clear?”  
Newt pauses, hand already halfway to the shell fragment, and carefully nods. “It means that much to you?”  
“My personal investment doesn’t matter here. What matters is that there is work to be done, no matter the season, and you have a responsibility to do it.”  
“Oh.” Newt straightens, quickly adjusting his lopsided glasses and attempting fruitlessly to tame his hair. “Then sure, I’ll be here.”  
“No more wandering off to buy more kaiju figures?”  
“No more buying awesome shit. Got it.”  
“No more lollygagging to listen to carols or what-have-you in the streets?”  
“No more carols. Sure thing.”  
“Good.” Hermann nods sharply, straightening with a military precision before turning. “Then back to work, Newton. It took us more than a thousand dollars to get that shell, and you better do something damn useful with it if you expect this program to survive.”

To everyone’s surprise, Newt actually follows through with his forced promise. Other researchers bring in Christmas cards, or casually mention their upcoming Thanksgiving dinners as the day approaches, but Newt achieves a level of focus few in the lab have ever seen. Hermann doesn’t say anything, but a few smug smiles tell everyone that he’s won. Newt shows up every day now, on the dot at eight in the morning or earlier, and works through lunch as if to prove a point. The two don’t talk as much anymore-after all, most of their ‘conversations’ had been fights over why Newt took off early from the lab-and the whole division seems quieter, missing Hermann’s misplaced anger and Newton’s indelible chatter.  
Thanksgiving comes and goes, and while most people realize that Hermann’s apparently dismissed it as an ‘overly American’ holiday, Newt doesn’t even seem to recognize the absence of the others when Thursday rolls around, taking the sudden silence in stride as he continues to poke and prod at the shell. Hermann silently approves, as he always does, but he still doesn’t initiate conversation-that, apparently, is still Newt’s division.  
“Hey, Hermann?”  
Hermann doesn’t exactly reply, with words, he simply tilts his head slightly. It’s enough encouragement for Newt to continue.  
“So I know you don’t freak out about the kaiju like I do, even though they’re totally awesome, and see, I get that, I know I’m weird and different and most people don’t get it when I ramble. But you put up with that, yeah? I just-if it’s not too much to ask, can I just ask-why?”  
Hermann does pause at this, drawing his hand away from the chalkboard to shift gears abruptly. He glances to Newt, taking in the latter’s tucked-in shirt and hurriedly-combed hair, and lets both eyebrows lift. Only slightly, though.  
“Why do I put up with you? Because it’s profitable. We make a good team, when you produce results and I produce theories, and the department heads seemed to think they work well together. Thus, I get put with you.”  
“Oh. Sure.” Newt nods, hiding his hands in his new coat, and disappears back at his table, arranging and rearranging plastic models of proteins and ions. Hermann sighs, leaning back to watch him, and finally ignores the chalk altogether in order to clear his throat.  
“Why do you ask, Newton?”  
“Oh, well, I just-you noticed when I came in late, and you always fuss whenever I leave too early, and-listen, I know you said you just wanted to make things look nice for the investors, but I didn’t know if there was anything else. That’s all.”  
“Anything else?” Hermann frowns, a tiny expression that makes his whole face wrinkle. “Like what?”  
“Like…if you were worried about me, or if you thought I was on something-when we first started, I think everyone assumed something like that, it’s just a result of me, I guess, and I’m not very good at toning it down. But you’ve never yelled at me for it, so I just assumed maybe you liked me.”  
“Liked you? I’m afraid I’m not catching your drift.”  
“Drift?” Newt pauses, and suddenly brightens as a laugh makes him hunch over the table again. “Oh, yeah, I-well, it’s just that I’ve never really-especially in this field, it’s hard to really concentrate on something like that, but we’re always together, and I just wondered-“  
“Newton. Get to your point.”  
“I just wondered if we might be friends. That’s all.” Newt shrugs, dragging over a rolling stool in order to concentrate on his plastic ions, and Hermann simply blinks in astonishment before carefully nodding. The concept wasn’t a new one-companionship and friendship were universal constants-but Newt’s reluctance to address the idea was comical. It would be comical if it was any other man.   
But, Hermann reflects, this is Newton Geizler. The man who nearly got himself killed trying to find out what exactly a kaiju’s digestive fluid does to steel. The man who probably cost numerous labs thousands of dollars in equipment, for half-baked projects that never came to fruition. The man who has a passion for kaiju Hermann could never imagine, and the only one who has a clue what to say when Hermann drags out the chalkboards.  
Perhaps friendship isn’t a far cry from their arrangement.   
“I would be proud to call you my friend, Newton. It would be hard to avoid, with both of us in such close quarters like this.” He swears Newt could power a small city with that smile of his, an overexcited beam that dims everything else in the room. However, Newt doesn’t move, and he simply nods quickly before glancing back at the table.  
“I mean, sure, when you spend this much time with a guy, you get to know him a bit.” Newt nods, waving one hand as if painting the logical conclusion. “And I’ve had fun with you, really, watching you work and talking to you about kaiju and the theories we both have-“  
“Exactly. We share common interests. And we work together. Friendship isn’t such a ridiculous assumption to make concerning our relationship.” Hermann nods, returning to his chalkboard, and carries on without further ado. Still, the tense silence of the lab seems to have dissipated, and a warm quiet has taken its place. It’s a good change, Hermann decides, and manages a smile as he begins work on another theorem. Having Newt around is not always a bad thing.


	2. Chapter 2

It’s a week or two later when the snow starts to fall, and various meetings are scheduled with the financial advisors to review the progress that’s been made. Newt doesn’t usually go to the meetings-the last time he came along, Hermann was forced to throw him out personally-but when Hermann returns, Newt quickly comes to his side before pausing.  
“What did they say?”  
“Blasted morons can’t get their own heads out of their asses-they asked me to ‘tone it down a bit’, Newton, they asked-this is theoretical physics we’re working with, here! I can’t tone it down just because some counselor didn’t take the time to read the dictionary!”  
“Whoa, hey, it was just a review, right? What happened?”  
“They wanted an overview, as they always do. I tried to explain what we’ve done, the steps we’ve taken to evaluate the kaiju’s origin, but when I mentioned the fluctuating variables they got lost. And they had the gall to blame me.”  
“Well, it is complicated stuff. You can’t just pick up a guy off the street and expect him to know what we’re doing, I mean-do you know how many people I’ve tried to talk to about kaiju? Ever since this started, I’ve been trying to find people who know what I’m talking about, but half of them live in Russia and have all these conspiracy theories about ‘em.”  
“But that’s the point, Newton, these aren’t just men off the street. These are our department leaders, the ones going forward to petition for more money, more resources, more damn equipment, and they can’t even understand the basic steps of what I’m doing?” Hermann scowled as he made his way further into the lab, searching for an eraser before Newt placed one in his free hand.  
“Hey, Herm, just-take it easy, okay, we’ll figure this out. I’ll help you try and sort out the stuff, and untangle it all, and then we can type it up and send it over, and no one’ll get confused. That’s what I’m here for, right, I’m your partner, we can do this. Just-explain it like you’d explain to me, and then I’ll explain it back to see if I got it, and we’ll go from there! We got a plan?”  
Hermann glanced over, surprised to see Newt nearly hovering on the balls of his feet, that ridiculous, hyper-electric grin still plastered across his face, and paused before allowing himself a small smile. “I think we do have a plan, Newton.”  
“See, yeah, I may not get all the big number junk, especially when you get going on probabilities, but I get most of it. When you go on and on about it all the time, it’s hard not to, really, it’s pretty fuckin’ fascinating to see…” Newt trails off, staring up at the chalkboard, and Hermann blinks rapidly before following his gaze.  
“What is it?”  
“Oh, nothing. Just-big numbers are your thing, aren’t they. You love ‘em to death, really, especially when you get started-“  
“Do I really talk about them that much?”  
“What? Oh, no, not really. You don’t have to talk. Sometimes I can just hear you over there, writing something down, and there’s parts where you speed up because you have to write it down quick before you forget it-“ Newt pauses to mime a frantic scribble, chuckling as he nods to the board. “And there’s this look, this rapturous look you get sometimes, when you finish one of those monsters, and it’s just-wow.” Newt shrugs, finally looking back at Hermann, and smiles again. “See, that might be part of your problem. No one else really gets to see that unless they’re, well, me, because you can’t just plan something like that. It’s kind of spontaneous.”  
“You actually think that’s something to be appreciated?” Hermann asks incredulously, reluctant to believe that someone would actually find his fascination with numbers…fascinating. However, given the look on Newt’s face as he rambled on, Hermann really doesn’t have a choice but to believe him. The other man doesn’t have a dishonest bone in his body, and he’s doing that smile again where he nods as fast as he can.   
“Of course it is! Do you know how rare it is to find people who actually enjoy what they do? We’re like unicorns, you and me, we take life by the reins and make it our bitch! I mean, look at this set up, you’ve got all the chalk you could want and a pretty nice healthcare package and all that, and I’ve got enough access to all the kaiju crap I could want, and-well, does it get any better than that?” Newt takes a step back, still grinning, and Hermann simply watches him for a long moment before shrugging.  
“Numbers are boring. It’s just experimental, theoretical physics, I’m just pulling stuff out of my ear, here. Trust me, it’s nothing to get worked up about.”  
“But see, you do!” Newt exclaims, spreading his arms wide. “I never thought I’d be interested in the probability of kaiju abnormalities and the improbable physiognomy of what we only know as aliens, but here I am! That’s what you did, Herm, you-god, it’s just impossible to make other people see that. I mean, it’s-the way I get about kaiju, the way you get about numbers, and math, and all that.”  
Hermann pauses longer this time, letting the implications sink in. It was immediately evident to everyone who even spoke to Newt what his overruling obsession was-many people deemed it crazy, or odd, or even a bit dangerous. Hermann’s own preference to numbers was never quite as apparent, but for the people who noticed, it was simply an oddity. He was just another pencil-pusher, scribbling away on some research grant while monsters ravaged the shorelines. He was one of the geeks so often stereotyped in literature, obsessed with learning to the point of lunacy. Newt’s obsession made him frighteningly dangerous. Hermann’s obsession simply made him boring.  
“You honestly think my preoccupation with math is comparable to your insanity over kaiju?” Hermann lets a cynical eyebrow indicate his disbelief, but immediately regrets it as Newt backs away, that excited grin fading away in an instant. For a moment, stories the both of them have traded flash through his mind, and Hermann can spot the insecure flicker of pain that flashes in Newt’s eyes. I fucked up again, and now someone else thinks I’m a freak. It’s a feeling Hermann can relate to, if not quite in those terms. “Newton, wait-“  
“No, no, you’re right. You’re normal, I mean, I don’t know what I was talking about. Some people like math, that’s a thing, and I just thought it was cool. My thing with kaiju is totally irrelevant, and I didn’t mean to bring it up-it was stupid of me. You’re the smart one, you went into a profitable division, and it paid off, and now here I am rambling on about kaiju-“  
“Newton. Please, just shut up.” Hermann manages to hold up a hand, catching that frightened-puppy look from Newton again, and tries not to sigh. As they both fall silent, Hermann refuses to speak, letting the uncomfortable silence stretch on until he’s ready to speak. “I’m touched that you appreciate my…appreciation of math. It’s rare to find someone who understands the utter beauty numbers promise, let alone someone who will sit back and let me get on with it. Thank you. But-“ Newt flinches again, and this time Hermann does sigh. “But you’re right in that it’s hard to explain to anyone else. It’s easier for you. People can actually see what you’re talking about, it’s crashing down on the coastline every few months. Numbers are just theories, just little meaningless symbols they assume I make up, and I don’t know that I can make anyone understand that.”  
“Herm, I…” Newt clears his throat, straightening at last, and tries to smile. “I understand it. I get it. I don’t always follow, but if you get that excited about something, it must be worthwhile. And if those guys with the checkbooks can’t understand something so simple, if they can’t see that something that gets you up and running like that can’t be anything but spectacular, then they’re blind.” Hermann smiles at that, and Newt nods in encouragement. “Blind as bats. They’re dickheads, too, on top of that, truly-“  
“All right, all right, enough.” Hermann waves him down, turning back to the chalkboard, and nods. “Fine, fine, so now you have to help me explain this to those dickheads. Where do we start?”  
“Wait, first-“ Newt comes to stand beside him at the board, still watching him with those wide eyes. “Can we go out for drinks after this?”  
“Drinks?” Hermann has to switch gears for a moment to comprehend the request, but carefully nods as he raises the chalk. “I don’t see why not. As long as we don’t leave early.”  
“Sure, you taskmaster. We’ll stay as long as you want.” The grin Hermann receives as thanks is more than enough to prompt him to start writing, and he returns the expression with a simple smile of his own as he begins outlining the basic theorems. It’s been a while since he went out on the town. Going with Newt would hardly be an imposition.


	3. Chapter 3

“Hermann?”  
The quiet question doesn’t seem to effect any reaction, and Newt’s forced to step into the lab all the way before knocking roughly on the doorframe. “Hey, Herm?”  
“What is it, I’m busy.” Hermann doesn’t turn from his board, and Newt huffs slightly before folding his arms.   
“You know what’s happening this week, right?”  
“If you’re referring to the Christmas holiday, then I know about it. I don’t see what it has to do with my research.”  
“It doesn’t. That’s kind of the point.”  
Hermann does turn this time, glancing back at Newt, and shrugs halfheartedly before watching him. “I won’t be here the day of, if that’s what you’re wondering. It’ll be next to impossible to get anything done if no one else is here to turn the lights on.”  
“But there’s a whole week, Hermann. You can’t just take one day off, you have to-look, have you even done any Christmas shopping yet?” Newt points out, shrugging off his coat before leaning on the nearest table. “You have to go Christmas shopping, it’s a tradition, and you people are all about tradition.”  
“Newton, there are people-“  
“And I’ve told you a thousand times to just call me Newt! C’mon, you can’t sit in here while people are out there singing carols and making cider and doing all the fun stuff that comes with Christmas, now get moving!” Newt huffs in annoyance, staring at the other man, and Hermann pauses before reaching for his cane.  
“Is this recompense for the two months I’ve forced you to come in on time?”  
“Maybe, maybe not, does it matter? You’re getting out of this lab, and I’m not going to let you stay.”  
“Is this an indication that you’re coming with me, then.” Hermann tries again, reaching for his own coat before pulling it over his shoulders.  
“If you want me to. If you’re just going to head home, or something boring, then yes, I’m dragging you to the mall. Didn’t you ever do fun things at Christmas where you came from, I mean, people weren’t half as paranoid as they were back then, and even I remember doing all sorts of crazy stuff-“  
“That may have had more to do with your own personality, rather than your culture’s unanimous decision to participate in this holiday.” Nonetheless, Hermann approaches the other man with a faint nod, gesturing for the door. “Get this over with.”  
“Wait-you’re actually coming with me?”  
“If I don’t, you won’t let me forget about it until next year. And I don’t need you moping when I’m trying to factor the probable distortion of a temporal field. Go.” Hermann nods shortly, letting Newt lead the way, and pauses as they come to a dilapidated Corolla in the parking lot. Newt unlocks it with a quick gesture, nodding for Hermann to enter, and tries to quickly shove a bundle of papers into the backseat before grinning.  
“Sorry about the mess, I don’t usually have other people-“  
“It’s understandable.” Hermann cuts him off, settling into the seat with some difficulty, and closes his eyes to shiver as the car is finally started. Only after several minutes of driving does the heater finally kick in, and Hermann grits his teeth against the noise of the poorly-designed system before resigning himself to the meager warmth.  
“You made up the temporal field bullshit back there.” Newt finally speaks, shrugging as he weaves through the evening traffic. Hermann simply glances at him, reacting nonchalantly, and nods.  
“So I did. What about it?”  
“Nothing. I just-do I really mope?”  
“Sometimes. It depends.” Hermann tries to settle back into his seat, his large coat shifting around him, and winces as an all-too-familiar pain splinters out from his knee. “Whenever I reprimand you about the kaiju, you tend to get rather quiet.”  
“But I thought you liked it quiet. I talk too much.”  
Hermann does have to think about this for a moment, considering the various times he’s snapped at Newt for inconsequential comments. Newt’s right. Hermann does like his peace and quiet, and Newt disturbs that. But he can’t say he dislikes the effect.  
“You talk just enough. And you stay on topic, at least.”  
Newt smiles at that, turning into a large parking lot before finding them a spot. “Well, when you’ve got something that awesome literally coming out of a hole in the ocean, why would you want to talk about anything else? You can’t just ignore these things, Herm, they’re-“ Newt pauses, turning the car off, and offers an apologetic smile. “Well. You probably know, don’t you.”  
“Come on. You dragged us this far, we might as well…what were you going to have me do again?” Hermann nearly flees the car as he exits, keeping a fair distance from the machine as Newt hurries to catch up with him. They head toward the outer sidewalk of the rather impressive shopping center, and Newt leads them beneath an avenue of lighted trees before shrugging.  
“Just-look at it, Hermann! This is it, this is what a holiday is for, all the lights and songs and hot chocolate and shit. Don’t tell me you don’t like it.”   
Hermann shrugs again, focusing on keeping his cane properly aligned with his feet and Newt’s meandering path, and simply listens to the faint strains of Christmas music drifting over the mall loudspeakers. Newt shoves his hands in the pockets of his thin jacket, apparently impervious to the cold, and doesn’t hesitate for a second to watch the lights around them, the people bustling to and from their cars.   
For a long moment, neither of them speak, Newt caught up in the wonder of the scene while Hermann reluctantly acknowledges the simple symmetrical beauty of the crisp winter evening. The chill does seep into his shoes, making the bones of his gammy leg ache, but he manages to ignore it for the most part, watching children run to catch up to their parents.  
“Newton, this isn’t right.”  
“What?” Newt stops, turning to face Hermann. “What isn’t?”  
“This. Christmas.” Hermann gestures vaguely, shifting to relieve the discomfort in his foot, and nods. “These people are going about their lives like there isn’t a care in the world, like the only thing that matters is their next Christmas gift, and they don’t even give a thought to what’s happening on the other side of the country. There are kaiju, by God, and we should be worried.”  
“People are worried, Herm. But they don’t have to be worried all the time.” Newt tries to start walking again, but Hermann doesn’t budge, still watching the others.  
“There are people dying, Newton. That deserves some consideration, at least.”  
“Herm…” Newt sighs, whining softly as he returns to Hermann’s side, and gestures to the trees again. “Listen, we haven’t forgotten about that, and it’s tragic. But life goes on. And Christmas is part of life. Should we just forget all about the good stuff because there’s bad stuff going on?”  
“Yes!”  
“No! That’s like refusing to eat simply because some people have food allergies! You can’t just ignore good things, Hermann, even though you try to, and hole yourself up in a lab somewhere in order to deny whatever good things you have-“  
“The analogy is hardly comparable, Newton, and it’s frankly insulting. In all your enthusiasm over the kaiju, in all your besotted obsession with them, you forget that they are destructive, manic beasts! They kill us without a second thought, our brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers and wives and husbands and-“ Hermann pauses to take a breath, the cold air constricting his windpipe dangerously, and he feels a momentary stab of panic as he begins to cough. Quickly clearing his throat, he nods again, watching the people. “They are evil, Newton, and ignoring that evil is a recipe for disaster!”  
“We aren’t ignoring them, Hermann!” Newt throws his hands in the air, exasperated, and stares at his partner as he tries to go on. “We know that there’s shit going on, and we mourn the people who die, yes! But we don’t get hung up on problems, because that’s what humans don’t do. We move on. We make Jaeger programs and beat the shit out of the kaiju and figure out where they’re coming from! That’s why you’re here, Hermann! We’re trying to find out how to stop them!”  
“Newton, of all the misguided, idiotic ideals to hold, the fact that you think-“ Hermann’s forced to cut himself off as another coughing spell robs him of breath, and Newt’s expression shifts from confrontational to a worried concern. Hermann scowls as he catches his breath, edging away from Newt, and jerks his hand away as the other researcher moves toward him. “I don’t need your help.”  
“Dude, that’s not normal.” Newt pauses, studying their surroundings before nodding to a park bench closer to the mall’s entrance. “C’mon, sit down.”  
“If I stop moving, I’ll die of hypothermia.”   
“Sit down.” Newt insists, heading for the bench with all the determination of a cocker spaniel. Hermann rolls his eyes, but tries to ignore the pricking pain of another cough in his chest and simply follows in silence. Once they’re seated, Newt sprawls over his half of the bench, providing a sharp contrast to Hermann’s poised tension. “What was that?”  
“The cold sometimes does that. The lack of humidity contributes to a dehydration of moist tissues, meaning that-“  
“I didn’t ask for the diagnosis, Hermann, I just want to be sure you’re ok. I didn’t mean to drag you out here just to bump you off.” Newt glances over to him, adjusting his glasses with a shrug.   
“Oh? The lab would probably be more exciting. I wouldn’t get in your way any longer.”  
“Herm-“ Newt quiets, blinking behind his glasses, and shifts forward to rest against his knees. “Don’t talk like that. Don’t joke like that. You’re a good man, and a good partner, and I wouldn’t want you dead.”  
Hermann smiles, about to come back with a lighthearted retort, but the seriousness in Newt’s expression makes him pause. His smile fades, and he carefully leans back against the bench to sigh softly. “After all my moralizing on the sanctity of the dead and proper respect. This is what I’ve come to.”  
“What?” Newt doesn’t quite follow, and Hermann lets a smile flicker across his expression before waving a hand absently.   
“I’ve really come down hard this year, haven’t I-making you come in early, stay late, follow the dress code…”  
“Yeah, but you have good reasons for that. I do need to pay attention to myself more, and if we’ve got grants on the line, well.” Newt shrugs, and Hermann glances over to see him sit back. “I just like doing things for the hell of them. Kind of my whole life, right there.”  
“And I’ve never done things for the hell of them. I suppose that’s-“  
“That’s the point of lab partners, Herm. We have each other’s backs. You make me follow dress code, and I drag you out on Christmas Eve to look at lights.”  
“Hm.” Hermann nods, looking around. “They are quite nice. Thank you.”  
“Hey, sure thing. You spend too much time with your numbers, Hermann, you forget what other people are like. Do you…” Newt watches him for a moment, trailing off, and shakes his head before looking back out at the bustle of the shopping center.  
“Do I what?” With a note of irritation, Hermann watches the other man, finding his cane against the bench.  
“I was just gonna ask if you had plans for Christmas. Just out of curiosity. You don’t have to tell me, I don’t want to pry.” Newt waves off the request, still focused on the lights. Hermann sits up, adjusting his cane in preparation to stand, and considers Newt for a moment before shrugging.   
“I’d be honored if you joined me for the holiday. I didn’t have any plans, perhaps some light reading, but nothing special. If you’d want to come and join me, you’re more than welcome.”  
It’s rare that Hermann finds anything amazing, much less something produced by another human, but the series of expressions that flash over Newt’s face make him pause. Astonishment and an unspeakable joy beam out from Newt’s smile, and he nods eagerly before standing.   
“I-Shit, I’d love to! I have to fix your present, make sure I don’t leave it in the lab, but-Hermann, I’d love to! Man, this is gonna be a great Christmas, you and me, best buds-“  
“Best buds?” Hermann raises an eyebrow, moving to follow him with some effort, and settles into a comfortable pace as they head back for the car.   
“Well, maybe not best buds, but-I don’t even know that much about you! You always talk about numbers and I always talk about kaiju. Not a whole lot of time for all the family jazz.”  
“To be honest, you probably know more about me than most of my supposed friends do. At least, when it comes to numbers.”   
“Well, I mean-“ Newt shrugs with an easy grin, unlocking the car while they’re still a few yards away. “There isn’t a whole lot to know, it’s just ‘one plus one’ and pretty basic stuff like that.”  
“Pretty basic ‘stuff’ that makes up the fabric of the universe, yes.” Hermann nods in thanks as they enter the car again, and gesture toward the exit of the parking lot. “You know-“  
“Your address is in your file. I’ll be able to find it.” Newt nods self-confidently, turning out of the shopping mall. Hermann settles into the seat as blessed warmth finally pours into the car, and closes his eyes as they drive.   
Before long, Newt’s pulling into the lot of a small apartment complex, and Hermann sits up in surprise before recognizing his number. “So we’re here.”  
“Yep! Safe and sound. Your car’s still at the lab, though, if you-“  
“I don’t have one.” Hermann waves him off, letting himself out of the car, and pauses as he leans against the door for support. “Newton?”  
“Yeah?” Newt leans over his center console, waiting for the next order or what-have-you Hermann might give.  
“Thank you.” With a small smile, Hermann finally closes the door, making his short and painful way to his apartment before letting himself in. Newt watches him go, listening to the rush of the car’s heater, and finally drives off, unable to rid himself of his own ridiculous grin.  
“Sure thing, Hermann Gottlieb. Any time.”


End file.
